Aircraft Incident/Accident Report

Lewiston, Idaho 83501Wednesday, May 17, 1989 14:15 PDT

DURING PRACTICE EXTERNAL LOAD (WATER DROP) OPS, PLT AT CONTROLS WAS MANEUVERING FOR DROP AND FAILED TO ALLOW FOR A LOAD SWING WHICH CAUSED THE HELICOPTER TO PITCH UP. PLT LOWERED COLLECTIVE AND COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN. BOTH PILOTS WERE PRACTICING WATER DROPS DURING THE FLIGHT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF THE HELICOPTER'S FLIGHT CONTROLS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S MISJUDGEMENT OF THE EXTERNAL LOAD CHARACTERISTICS.